Enchanted
by Ashtro Zombie
Summary: Human A/U. Lapis Lazuli has just moved to Beach City; she acquires a new job and begins to immerse herself in her music again when she catches the eye of a fellow musician who quickly becomes smitten with her. I know there's not much to the summary right now, but I'll update it as I go. T rating subject to change.
1. Applicant

Looking up from the map displayed on her cellphone, Lapis Lazuli found herself gazing at the entrance to a small hole-in-the-wall café she had been hearing about as she explored the town that was her new home. _A Latte On My Mind._ She snickered at the lame pun and observed the sign above the door it was engraved on. The text was surrounded by tiny roses and stars with some musical notes as well. It was obviously a home made piece and unceremoniously hung from a nail that was forced between the cracks in the face of the soft red building. Lapis looked around slowly, taking in the sights around her as she prepared herself for her next task.

Beach City didn't appear to be much, but in the few days Lapis had been getting to know her surroundings, she had discovered there was more to the touristy neighborhood than meets the eye. The Boardwalk was a bit of a trip on foot from Sussex Road, but Lapis didn't mind the scenery when she cut down Thayer towards the beach access road; she lost herself in it and it helped time fly as she was job hunting every day.

Which is what led her to be standing in front of the café, strategically squeezed in between a T-shirt shop and an exotic sounding restaurant dubbed Fish Stew Pizza. She made a mental note to check both stores out sometime, when she was hungry or curious to see what she could add to her somewhat boring and drab wardrobe. She looked down at her choice of clothing for the day; a dark blue tank top with a black snug fitting cardigan thrown over it and a black pair of skinny jeans nicely accented with her favorite pair black flats. She moved a hand to the black wool beret she had thrown atop of her messy, fading blue hair. Yes, it might just be time for a shopping trip once she had acquired her first paycheck.

Moving hadn't been much of a battle financially, as her mother was willing enough to help her locate a small house and pay for half a year's worth of rent, but she was expected to have secured employment and to be paying for it after those six months. While most teenagers fresh out of their parent's control with that much time to get a job would seize the opportunity to go crazy with partying and slacking off, Lapis had no intention of enjoying any leisurely activities until she heard the words "You're hired!" drift through her ears. Then she could relax and enjoy her down time when possible. She was not going to risk losing so much time then scrambling to get a job while begging for an extension on rent with made up excuses being her defense. It was a miracle her mother had even offered to pay her rent for that long, but then again, she probably wanted Lapis out of her house just as much as Lapis wanted to be gone.

 _Do not go down that road right now. Not before you step in there and ask for a job._

Wincing then shaking her head, Lapis exited the map and put her phone on silent mode before sliding it into her pocket, her eyes set on the door as she took a deep breath. Grabbing the giant rustic handle, a bright friendly smile replaced her usual bored-to-death demeanor. Gotta use honey to attract flies, right? Or something silly to that extent. She pulled the door open and stepped inside cautiously, blinking as she took in the café's interior.

There were a few comfortable looking black booths meant for two people each lined along the wall to her right with dark wooden panels placed in various angles, making the wall look slightly chaotic yet calm at the same time. The last booth sat in front of a section that had small book shelves and some tables and chairs, even a couple of bean bags; a sign hanging from the entrance of it read 'The Book Nook'. A young boy with curly black hair sat in one of the bean bags holding a book between him and a girl with big round glasses next to him in the other bean bag. They were giggling and talking in semi-hushed voices, enjoying each other's company more than the book. Lapis smiled slightly more before glancing to the other side of the café.

On the left were some big white metal tables with matching chairs that had cushions set on the seats of them. A few groups sat at them with their laptops and coffee cups, chatting with one another or everyone engrossed in their screens discussing term papers and gaming platforms. A young man with outrageously curled blond locks and glasses was speaking with a rather loud, dramatic voice, repeatedly jabbing at his laptop screen while a younger boy with similar hair, presumably a relative, propped his chin on his open palm staring dead pan at the other as if he'd been through this charade countless times and had accepted it as a way of life. However, what Lapis saw next put a glint in her robin's egg blue eyes and she took a few more steps towards the area to get a better look.

Beyond the social gatherings and the comical exchange of the two boys, against the back wall, was a stage with a stool, microphone stand and speakers hung from the ceiling in between multicolored light fixtures. A long rectangular table was set up to the side of the stage with what appeared to be turntables and a tiny TV that was unplugged and wrapped up in its own cord. There was just enough space between the stage and tables to assume that it was used for dancing when the equipment was put to use. An obviously much used chalkboard stood propped up at an angle against the front of the stage and the wall with various days and names listed. A genuine smile crossed Lapis' face and she subconsciously tightened her hands together, excitement forming with the idea that came into her mind.

 _Do it, whether you land the job or not. Do it._

She tore her eyes away from the stage, letting them roam to the center of the café, where dead ahead was the front counter. Glass display cases showed off desserts and beverages available for purchase along with a complimentary more than slightly bored appearing employee, leaning against the counter with her crossed arms as support. She was staring right at Lapis and gave her a smirk as their gazes met. Hesitating for a split moment, Lapis looked back to the stage, affirming her resolve and giving her the courage to walk towards the counter.

"Heeey, Blue. See something you like?" The employee spoke with a low cocky voice and gave her a wide grin, raising an eyebrow at the surprised girl. Lapis' face went blank and she let out the most intelligently puzzled thing she could think of to say.

"Uhhh...?"

Letting out a laugh, the employee straightened up revealing herself to be not much taller than the counter and put her hands on her hips, jerking her head towards the stage. "Hehe, you seemed really into our karaoke center, is what I mean..." She grinned more and looked Lapis up and down. "Unless you wanna take this conversation another direction..."

"NO, no, I, uh..." Lapis blinked and shook her head putting a hand to her forehead. _Focus._ "I'm here to apply for a position."

"Well, what one? I have a few favorites, but I'm flexible for anyone's preferences, if you get my drift." If possible, the girl's grin grew and she laughed again as she gauged Lapis' flustered reaction. "I'm just teeeasing you, Blue! I'm sorry! Hehe...but hey, on the reals, if you're ever down-"

"Can I just please possibly speak with a hiring manager?!" Lapis sputtered out in a voice higher than she was used to using. She cleared her throat and stared at the employee, whose nametag read-"...Amethyst? Please?"

Amethyst opened her mouth to make another retort, but thought better of it when she saw Lapis' eyes narrow and chuckled nervously. "Ehehe, yeah, uh, sorry. Again." She turned a light shade of pink and turned her head to call over her shoulder into the back of the store, which was separated by a bright pink banner with a rose surrounded by thorns emblazed in the middle. "Hey, Pearl, Garnet, do one of you have a moment to spare? Applicant!" Turning back to Lapis, she smiled sheepishly. "...I'm sorry. I forget not to mix business with pleasure. Bad habit."

Lapis rubbed the side of her head closing her eyes and taking a slow deep breath then exhaling. "Thanks for the apology. Just. Forget it. Let's move on." She glanced back at the pastel purple haired girl and smirked a bit. "If I get this job, I don't wanna start off on the wrong foot with my coworkers." Amethyst smiled a bit more and nodded, giving her a thumbs up. Lapis extended her hand and tilted her head to the side. "And it's Lapis."

Amethyst looked at her hand then gripped it and shook it heartily, surprising Lapis with her strength. "I like Blue better, but I'll take Lapis into consideration! Your hair just pops out so much, it's all I could think of to call ya!"

"Says the girl with lavender hair?" Lapis laughed. "Besides, you think this is blue? Just wait until I find the time to recolor it, then you'll really be seeing blue!" The two laughed together briefly before a new voice cut through their bonding.

"Amethyst! You called? I hope you're actually doing some work...for once...oh!" A tall woman with short, light pink hair walked through the curtain with a clipboard and pen in her hands and stopped in her tracks when she saw her coworker conversing with someone. Her soft blue eyes darted to Amethyst then back to Lapis and she approached them timidly. "Hello...erm, Amethyst, friend of yours?" She crossed her arms and gripped the clipboard staring at the shorter girl. "You know Garnet prefers you not to have company while you're on the clock!"

"Ugh, quit your whining, Pearl!" Amethyst snapped, crossing her arms to mimic Pearl. "If you'd been actually _listening_ when I called, I clearly said APPLICANT!" She threw her arms in the air letting out an exaggerated groan and grabbed a dish towel dunking it in a bucket of sanitizer and wringing it out before pushing her way past Pearl and exiting into the lobby through a swinging door panel of the counter. "Though I'm sure when she's done talking to you, she won't wanna work here anymore..." she muttered just barely loud enough for the other two to hear.

Pearl glared at Amethyst's back as she began to wipe tables and pick up trash leftover from customers that had come and gone, then turned back to Lapis blushing softly. "I'm quite sorry, I wasn't aware of your presence, and Amethyst has a tendency to be overly sociable at work...err..." She looked down at the clipboard in her wiry hands and flipped through some of the pages. "I don't believe I have an application on hand..." She looked back up at Lapis and gestured towards the back of the shop. "Would you like to follow me? I have to print one off, and Garnet is back here...she's our GM, so you can fill it out here and hand it right to her and she can determine if she'd like to have you on our team!" Pearl blinked then held out her hand shyly. "...I'm Pearl."

Lapis had been taking in the activity between Amethyst and Pearl, quietly watching and determining whether she could deal with the atmosphere if hired. So far, she was fairly certain she, indeed, could handle it. A chance to meet Garnet would further help her reach a conclusion. She mentally kicked herself, realizing she needed a job regardless of her ability to handle the people involved in it. A job was a job was a job was a job. Social aspects were not to be taken into consideration until further notice.

With a small sigh and a nod, she took Pearl's dainty hand in hers and shook it gently, not wanting to scare the frail looking girl. Despite her attitude with Amethyst, Lapis could tell Pearl was definitely a delicate snowflake.

"Lapis. It's nice to meet you." She smiled as an afterthought, not wanting to come across as uninterested and rude. "Pearl."

Pearl squeezed her hand staring at her before retracting it and turning briskly to walk towards the office, pushing the swinging door open for Lapis to walk through. "This way, please."

Lapis lurched forward to slip through the door and follow Pearl hastily, looking over her shoulder at Amethyst. The employee had looked up from a table she was cleaning when they began walking and grinned, throwing Lapis another thumbs up. Lapis returned it smiling then picked up her steps to catch up with Pearl. She wasn't expecting the abruptness that the other girl had displayed and stayed nervously silent as they passed through the opening in the middle of the banner, the image of the rose and thorns fluttering as it settled back into place.


	2. Pointless

**A/N** : hello, and welcome to chapter 2 of Enchanted. I'm your host – author, rather – Ash. I just wanted to write a quick note of thanks for those of you who have followed and/or left a review on chapter 1, I truly appreciate it and it brings a smile to my face to get alerts about such actions. I haven't written seriously in a really long time so I'm kind of testing the waters while also trying to get real structure going on with this story. I am open to input/constructive criticism. Well, without further ado, I suppose, let's get on with it.

xxxxx

Heavy bass and the experimental scratching of records echoed through the spacious storage unit that four friends had rented out months prior to the moment. At said moment, three quarters of the bunch were seated all together on a lengthy, beat up couch settled against the metal walls of unit 213, six feet propped up on a rickety coffee table that had been presumably brought in to be saved from the certain doom that was the dumpster. Half empty bottles of soda littered the table along with junk food wrappers, an assortment of wires, and video game consoles with missing face plates. Two lawn chairs sat across the way facing the coffee table closer to the door with a tiny wooden night stand in between them that was vacant of any trash or electronics, just a light yellow glass ash tray shaped as a guitar with a few cigarette butts in it.

To the back of the unit, a small red and black spray painted table was set up, supporting an old black and blue turn table and other various pieces of equipment. Behind it all, a dark skinned girl was playing with the control panel with a focused gaze, grinding her teeth together occasionally as she tried out sounds that were new to her. After a moment, she threw her hands up in frustration groaning at the ceiling before crossing her arms and glaring at her companions. "You guys, this isn't happening! I'm never going to get this!" she exclaimed, tapping her foot impatiently.

Glancing up from his cellular device, a young man shook his head, a small smile forming on his face as he watched her through his dark sunglasses. "Naw, don't say that, Jenny. Never say never." Removing his feet from the table and replacing them with his phone, he strolled over behind the table to stand next to Jenny, observing her settings. "We all gotta start somewhere, right, Sour Cream?"

Bobbing his platinum blond head, the middle man of the couch chimed in his advice. "Just keep swimming, man." He motioned his arm in the air like a sea creature flowing through waves and closed his eyes, smiling. "Swim on."

"HONESTLY, you guys are no help." Jenny retorted, rolling her eyes before turning them back to the table. "So, Buck, what wisdom do you have to impart on me to 'swim on?'" she smirked, looking back to her dark haired friend as he began to readjust some controls and share his advice with her.

Sour Cream tapped on his tablet for a few seconds before looking to the last friend on the end of the couch closest to the unit's slightly cracked door with his bright blue eyes. "So, Peri, what's the plan for tonight? You hitting up the warehouse with us after Latte?" He questioned flatly, watching the blonde absentmindedly playing a game on her 3DS.

A few seconds passed before she let out a slow sigh that was barely audible over the repetitive beats and proceeded to save her game before turning the device off, setting it on the couch between them. "I suppose I have no other means to spend my night, so it will be manageable." she delivered just as flatly, glancing at Sour Cream with a slight nod. She ran a hand through the mess that was her hair and scratched her head softly staring at the coffee table. "...I do require caffeination, so, at what time do you predict we will be leaving for Latte?" she inquired looking back to him, her green eyes blank.

Shrugging, Sour Cream placed his tablet next to the 3DS and stood up, sliding his hands in his hoodie pockets as he walked over to Buck and Jenny and began to converse with them.

Peridot moved her sights from the group to the opposite wall, settling her focus on the empty lawn chairs that hadn't been occupied in months. She honestly didn't know what the purpose of having them there was. Even when the friends had visitors, everyone was on the couch or behind the table or messing with some sort of appliance; she could not recall a single occasion in which anyone had seated themselves in the shabby chairs. The ashtray barely served a purpose itself; it was just used by those standing around, not sitting, relieving their need for nicotine and that was fairly rare in itself. They may as well just move it to the coffee table and throw the chairs out! Just looking at the set up slowly filled her with annoyance and her eyes narrowed.

 _Pointless. Unnecessary and pointless._

"Peridot!" Blinking, Peridot tore her eyes away from the chairs—probably best at this time, she was getting too worked up over nothing, she realized—and looked towards her three friends, who were all staring back at her. She hadn't noticed the bass and scratches stop and she blushed a bit. "You okay, there, P?" Jenny asked, looking at the wall quickly then back at Peridot with a hint of concern on her face.

Peridot could only nod dumbly as she cleared her throat. "Yes, just, ah, mentally preoccupied with silly notions." She stood, forcing her mouth into a thin smile and stuck her hands into the pockets of her slightly baggy blue jeans and tilted her head watching them. "So? Verdict?"

Jenny shook her head laughing a bit. "Girl, you strange. We the jury have found the defendant in need of caffeine, so we're going to Latte now!" Jenny giggled and Buck and Sour Cream smiled, beginning to shut down and unhook some of the equipment on the table.

Peridot rolled her eyes as Jenny ran up to her, hooking their arms together with Peri's hands still in her pocket. "You call me strange then play into my words." she scoffed, her smile becoming a real one that was soft. "Wow, thanks."

Giggling again, Jenny leaned against her slightly squeezing her arm before straightening back up and putting her own hands into her pockets, keeping their arms linked. "Hey, that's what friends are for! To make fun of you then be a total dork with you!" she teased. Peridot shrugged an "I guess" sort of shrug and the pair watched the boys as they wrapped all the wiring up. "Why you always gotta do that? We're coming back and using it soon, anyway!" Jenny chided, tapping her foot once more.

"I work best in a tidy environment." Buck stated simply, setting the wires neatly on the table.

"You don't work at all when it's unplugged, Buck." Peridot deadpanned.

"Not the point."

"Yeah." Peridot rolled her eyes and turned her and Jenny towards the unit's door. "We'll get the car started." Taking her free hand out of her pocket, she leaned down and yanked the door up, a grating metal noise sounding throughout the small space. "That might make a good sound effect..." she muttered. Jenny laughed and Peridot shot her a smile that quickly faded as her eyes fell back on the vacant lawn chairs, their ugly shades of blue and green offending her vision more than usual. She quickly looked forward and began walking down the driveway towards Jenny's pizza topping themed vehicle, trying not to let the chairs consume her once more.

 _...pointless._


	3. Ocean Side

**A/N** : so, I stayed up to write chapter 2, and it ended up being super long, so I divided it into 2 and 3! I've already started working on 4, so I hope you guys enjoy these two chapters. sorry if it seems drawn out or slow or anything, I'm writing as I go and when something comes to mind I try to work with it, and it ends up being a bit of dialogue and short paragraphs and one sentence type of things. anywaaay.

 **NEW EPISODE TONIGHT! WHO ELSE IS EXCITED?!** It looks sooo cuuute and I can't wait to see what goes on while everyone's away. C=

okay. enjoy.

xxxxx

They pulled up to the curb of Fish Stew Pizza blasting the first mixtape Sour Cream had produced himself; an old sampling of what he started out with did well to remind them of their roots and what they aimed to become as far as their DJ careers. Jenny herself was just starting out, having fun and seeing what her friends were all about, but she only regarded it as a hobby, which they all understood and respected. "All work and no play, don't be a dull Jenny." was Buck's point of view, and the other two agreed. Jenny worked hard—sometimes—at her family's restaurant and needed a break whenever she had an especially tiring shift, and playing with music was a perfect outlet. As long as she could be with her friends and not take something seriously, she was a happy camper.

Buck went back and forth with a few different hobbies. Some months can go by before he would decide to delve back into music, and it would amuse him for another few months before he decided to focus on another activity. However, whatever he dedicated his time and energy to, he did extremely well with it. He went with the flow of his mind and enjoyed whatever he could whenever he wanted. He mainly got into the rave scene for Sour Cream's sake; the two spent so much time together that he didn't want to feel like he couldn't understand his friend's passion, so he gave it a spin, as it were, and found he could really get into it, which suited him just fine.

Sour Cream and Peridot, however. They aimed to do the absolute best they could in their own ways. They wanted to play as many shows as possible and always learn something from each one to use in the next one, in the next mix or collaboration they decided to undertake. They had met when Peridot moved to Beach City. She was pursuing an education in technological fields along with the study of astronomy when she met Sour Cream in one of her many classes. He always had his headphones on and was constantly to himself, yet he would have randomly helpful input when needed. He took it on himself to casually invite Peridot to grab lunch from Fish Stew Pizza one day so she could meet Buck and Jenny, and their friendship grew from there. She was hesitant when he extended the offer, but she saw no reason to turn it down and it was one of the best things she had done since moving to Beach City. They began to take her to various raves held in many locations, and the sounds Sour Cream and his internet friends produced sparked an interest in her. It was fairly simple to learn how these sounds were created—it was all just machines and technology, after all, her specialty—and she quickly caught up to Sour Cream's level, which he was quite impressed with, though you would never be able to tell by his tone of voice. The two often spent time together planning their next moves and locations, spreading the word any way they could to draw more listeners to test their creations on. Music aside, Peridot was pleased she had managed to befriend a few good people and that she could spend as much time with them as she desired outside of classes. They were like her family at this point, and she couldn't imagine not meeting them.

Smiling to herself as Jenny shut off the car and took the keys out of the ignition, Peridot unbuckled her seatbelt and gripped the car door on both sides, swinging her feet over it and pushing herself up enough to jump down. Sour Cream and Buck followed suit with their respective doors as Jenny opened her car door, scowling at them. "Can't you guys just, I don't know, be normal and open the door to get out?!" she grumbled, shutting her door a bit hard. The other three looked at each other before all breaking out into snickers and joining Jenny's side.

"Aww, come on. Have fun. Relax." Peridot drawled, waggling her fingers at her friend, who in turn slapped her hands away, causing the blonde to begin rubbing them in mock pain, a smirk crawling on her face.

"Get outta my face! That's my family business car! If you scuff it up, my father won't let me hear the end of it!" Jenny looked behind her, as if just mentioning Kofi would cause him to come flying out of the restaurant door. "I'm surprised he didn't come out here yelling already..." she began to imitate her father, throwing her hands in the air animatedly. "JENNY! What are you doing?! Playing that noise that loud, in front of MY RESTAURANT! DON'T MAKE ME GROUND YOU, YOUNG LADY!" The other three all laughed with her as they walked towards A Latte On My Mind, Peridot smiling more than the others as she realized she was about to get her caffeine fix. She never knew how much she was going to love coffee until college and the nightlife Sour Cream introduced her to came into her life.

She reached for the door handle, turning towards her friends with an open, smiling mouth to make a declaration on her excitement, when suddenly, before her fingers made contact with metal, the door flew open, slamming into her hand and just barely grazing her nose. She gritted her teeth, retracting her hand as fast as it happened and squeezed it, tears forming in her eyes. "FFFF...ERR..." she grunted staring at her hand before looking up, ready to let loose on her offender.

That plan fell real short real fast.

She found herself staring into the startled blue eyes of a girl, half a foot taller than her with hair to match her gaze. She was clutching a piece of paper in one hand, the other one over her mouth as she stared at Peridot. She removed it quickly and made an awkward reach towards Peridot's hand, to which Peridot stepped back in what felt like slow motion. She was almost rooted to the spot, and she didn't know where the energy to manage that movement came from. She couldn't speak, either. Why couldn't she speak? She was just about to—

"A-are you okay?"

The girl's words brought a flash of the ocean side; Peridot's bare feet in the sand as a breeze made its way through her hair and the smell of salt stung her nose as her eyes watered while a smile made its home on her face, laying back in the sand, hands behind her head, relaxing as the gulls sang a song of coming home in her ears, the sun warming her body and soul.

And then it was gone.

Squeezing her hand Peridot found her voice. "YES, I'M FINE, THANK YOU."

It wasn't a very flattering voice, but it was a voice.

The blue eyes blinked as they stared at Peridot, then her hand. "Are...you sure...? You look pained..." Her hand flew to her face and she groaned. "I'm so sorry...I was so eager to rush home, I didn't think anyone would be coming in right as I was leaving..."

Peridot was at a loss again listening to her voice. _What are you doing? What the hell? Just get inside! Get away! GO!_

"I...I'm fine...it'll pass, really...I just...need...coffee."

The girl moved her hand and looked at Peridot once more, wincing. "...are you sure...?" she repeated, glancing back down to the blonde's hand, which was not so subtly turning red and swelling. "It's gonna bruise..."

"I'M FINE, THANK YOU."

 _AGAIN? YOU YELLED THE SAME THING, AGAIN?_

Sighing, the girl moved towards Peridot who moved further back and grabbed the door handle, holding it open for the group. "Alright...well...I'm sorry, again...enjoy your coffee..."

Glancing at the girl once more, Peridot somehow found the motivation to bolt past her into the shop. She leaned over and grabbed the collar of her shirt, her mind spinning from the encounter as she took slow deep breaths. She hadn't frozen up like that in...well, almost a year...

"You don't have to hold the door, it's okay, girl! She'll be fiiine!" she heard Jenny remark. She rolled her eyes, letting out a low growl. _Thanks, Jenny._

"No, it's the least I can do...besides, if I'm gonna be a good employee, I should start practicing some manners and hold the door, instead of hitting my customers with it, heh..."

"Oh, you work here now? Girl, I'm right next door if you need anything! My family runs Fish Stew Pizza! Come say hi sometime!"

Peridot's eyes widened and her head shot up as she turned towards the door, watching her friends wave their goodbyes to the girl with the blue hair, barely catching another world stopping glance of her as the door closed behind Jenny. She caught her friends all staring at her strange behavior and blinked furiously, turning around quickly to run up to the counter where Amethyst was watching the whole scenario with wide eyes and an even wider grin.

"HAZELNUT COFFEE, BLACK, TWO SHOTS OF ESPRESSO."

The grin on Amethyst's face expanded and she propped her face in her open palms, raising her eyebrows at Peridot. "Heeey, Peridactyl. How's it goin'? Didjya meet our newest barista?"

"COFFEE."

"Suuure, how did you want that again? Black? Or Blue?"

Snickers came from behind Peridot and she whirled around to stare at her friends with wide eyes, all of them watching her back gleefully. "I JUST WANT MY COFFEE, OKAY?" She couldn't think with all of this confusion whirling through her head. She didn't know what to make of it, and she didn't want to sort it out. Not right now. The pain in her hand coupled with the confusion was not something she could handle without caffeine.

"Alllriiight, P-Dot, I'll get your coffee..." Amethyst laughed and turned towards the coffee pots, grabbing the hazelnut one and pouring it in before pumping the espresso in. Stirring it up, she secured a lid on top and turned, handing it to Peridot, who all but snatched it out of her hand and threw exact change on the counter before running off to the stage, pulling up a chair against the wall and began to nervously sip on her drink.

Amethyst continued to grin over at Peridot before looking at Buck, Sour Cream and Jenny, stars basically dancing in her eyes. "DUDE. DUDES. DUDETTE."

They all nodded hard in unison, slight smiles on Buck and Sour Cream's faces, a grin just as wide as Amethyst's on Jenny's. "What's her name, Ames?!" Jenny whispered loudly, trying not to make a big fuss and failing as Peridot glared over at all of them suspiciously.

"Lapis!" Amethyst replied, glancing over at Peridot. "She just moved here, she came in for an application, Pearl took her to the office to fill one out and talk to Garnet! It really didn't take too long for Garnet to approve of her, she starts tomorrow!" Amethyst said all of this very quickly and dramatically took a deep breath to make up for the lost breath. "Mannn, I came onto her fast but she shut me down, ha, apparently she's just hypnotic...even Pearl's acting a bit weird about her." Amethyst waggled her eyebrows as the group stared at her. "OH, and you guys haven't even heard the best part."

"Tell us the best part, I'm dying to know!" Jenny clapped.

Amethyst grinned again and looked towards Peridot, then the stage and back to the group. "Go check the chalkboard." she hinted.

Jenny was off like a shot, Buck and Sour Cream trailing behind her with a slight sense of urgency. Peridot saw them coming towards her and she sunk herself further into her chair, gritting her teeth together as they approached. Their gazes were on the chalkboard, which was propped up between her and the stage, and she turned to see what they were looking for. After a moment, she noticed a name she'd never seen before, written for Wednesday at 8 p.m.

 _Lapis Lazuli._

"What's...oh." She stood up slowly and kept staring at the name before staring at her friends' amused faces, and further beyond them, Amethyst laughing, burying her face into her arm on the counter, her hand slapping the glass top.

"...Sour Cream..."

"Yep."

"...we play Wednesday night at 9, right?"

"Yep."

"...great."


	4. Fall Away

**A/N:** so this chapter is kinda recapping the last chapter but through Lapis' POV plus some extra before and after happenings. the dialogue and actions are repeated, including a tiny bit Peri didn't properly catch due to her stupor of discovering Lapis would be working at Latte. I feel like I may be dragging this out, but as I've said, I haven't written in a while and I want to build up the story and backgrounds. I'm also hoping to give some chapters to other characters and develop their story lines as well. clearly, Pearl has to have her own chapter, at least one, which I'll turn into like three or four. cause I love Pearl. I have an idea for her story as it is.

regarding chapter titles, I don't plan them at all until I'm done writing the chapter and uploading it, then I reread and pick a theme or word that seems to fit the overall feeling of it. anyway! onwards.

 **ALSO. THE NEW CRYSTAL GEMS WAS JUST AS CUTE AS I EXPECTED IT TO BE!** my biggest focus was that Peridot finally called Lapis a clod! Hahaha. okay. enjoy the chapter. =]

xxxxx

After following Pearl into the office, Lapis had been introduced to Garnet, a tall, dark muscular woman with, surprisingly, a third eye piercing adorning her forehead. Lapis wasn't used to seeing open expression in the workplace, and it excited her to know she would be allowed to recolor her hair and, when the time came, start decorating her skin with tattoos that would be acceptable for customers to see. Garnet had given her a warm smile and asked her a few questions; what led her to apply to their shop? What experience did she have? What did she like to do in her spare time? The small get-to-know-you-questions that put her at ease as she answered each one in a brief yet informative manner.

At that point, Garnet had patted her on the shoulder and welcomed her to the team before taking her application and writing directions on it. She gratefully shook Garnet's hand and waved goodbye to Pearl, who had been observing the interview from the doorway. The woman had looked down at her clipboard when Lapis acknowledged her and murmured a soft 'Goodbye, Miss Lazuli.' before disappearing to the further reaches of the store. Lapis stared after her before exiting through the banner, catching Amethyst's eye and throwing her one final thumbs up before the other girl ran over to high five her.

"Alright! Officially on board!" Amethyst cheered for her, leaning up against the counter and beaming at her. "It'll be nice to have a new worker bee around here! We honestly don't have many workers, not like we neeeeed them, but, eh, I'm bored with them all." She half-heartedly laughed then shifted her weight against the counter, looking at her hand absently. "Sooo, what's the next step?"

Remembering the girl's banter earlier, Lapis raised an eyebrow then looked down at her paper. "I get my uniform together and report at 10 a.m. tomorrow." Looking back up at Amethyst, she gave her a slight smile then nodded her head towards the door. "I'm gonna get going, I need to be sure I can put few outfits together."

Nodding, Amethyst looked back at Lapis and smiled again. "Congrats, and welcome, again. Catch ya tomorrow!"

Lapis slipped through the swinging door and made her way rather hurriedly towards the door before a thought struck her. She turned and looked at the stage as she walked back to the counter. "So, uh...is that like, um...an open mic type of deal, or...?" She eyed the chalkboard before looking back at Amethyst, who smiled and nodded.

"We start it at five o'clock every weeknight, seven on weekends, it goes until all the acts are done, whatever time that may be. You interested?"

Nodding a bit eagerly, Lapis fiddled with her sleeves a bit and looked back over. "...very. How do I sign up?"

"Just write your name under the day and time slot you want, we usually contact all participants if there's any conflict or important details to work out, sooo just go ahead and we'll talk to ya if we need." She watched Lapis strut over quickly and observe the board before picking up a blue piece of chalk ('go figure', Amethyst laughed to herself) and write her name, setting it down and smiling wide. "So, what do you do? Like, this thing's open for all sorts of stuff...poetry, singing, instrumentals, blah, blah, blah..."

Lapis walked towards the door once more and grinned over at the girl. "I play guitar. I mostly do covers, but I try to write my own stuff, too. I'll see what I can figure out by Wednesday. See ya!"

Giving her new coworker a final wave, she grabbed the door's handle and threw it open, only to hear a loud **THUNK** and a somewhat repressed sound of pain. Her hand flew to her mouth and she stopped in her tracks as her eyes took in a blonde girl that was as tall her shoulders, if even that, clutching her hand tightly and holding it to her body. She shoved her foot against the door hard, holding it open and just barely twitched her wrist when the girl looked up, anger written across her face, her mouth twisted into an ugly sneer, no doubt some venom laced words on the tip of her tongue, when their gazes met.

Lapis had always wondered what people felt when they described everything around them falling away, except for the one person they were focused on. She wasn't sure, but this seemed to be the very physical sensation she experienced when she first glimpsed into the girl's green orbs. It wasn't even the idea that everything but them fell away, actually; it was the thought that the two of them had been transported to another galaxy for a split second. Her breath was non-existent, her entire being felt nothing, she could only focus on the realization that, _wow, that green put the entire planet's ecosystem to shame_.

And as quickly as it happened, it ended, and she forced herself to move her hand and quickly splutter out a measley, "A-are you okay?", mentally slapping herself. Of course she wasn't okay, she had just been slammed in the hand by a mass amount of wood at a fairly high speed. She was taken by surprise and blinked as the blonde yelled at her, but not in anger or annoyance, just...yelled.

"YES, I'M FINE, THANK YOU."

She felt her face heat up slightly at the sound of the girl's voice, somewhat scratchy and low, though at the moment, decently shrill, before she looked at the girl's hand. "Are...you sure...? You look pained..."

 _Why is she not screaming at me for being such an idiot...? Ugh...oh god...this is so fucking embarrassing...why can't I just disappear..._

She subconsciously covered her face with her free hand, groaning in despair. "I'm so sorry...I was so eager to rush home, I didn't think anyone would be coming in right as I was leaving..." she muttered pathetically, shame washing over her as she realized how inconsiderate she had been in her excitement.

"I...I'm fine...it'll pass, really...I just...need...coffee..."

The sound of the girl's voice, not screeching, was still scratchy and low, pleasant even, and Lapis moved her hand looking back at her, finding herself captivated once more by those lovely green eyes, wondering why she never appreciated the color as much as she did in this moment. Green deserved all the attention she could give it from now on, and even attention she would never be able to make up for.

 _What...stop, focus...you just hurt this girl! Stop swimming in her eyes...why aren't all bodies of water green...what's so special about blue...STOP._

She winced and repeated herself as she looked down at the girl's hand to break the spell her eyes had unknowingly cast on her. "...are you sure...? It's gonna bruise..." she mentally kicked herself this time for pointing out something so obvious, but she didn't know what else to say, and considering the situation, she couldn't just casually start a conversation about anything else without absolutely making sure that the girl was okay first.

 _Buy her coffee._

The thought hit her a bit too late, for as she prepared herself to make the offer, once more, the girl yelled suddenly.

"I'M FINE, THANK YOU."

Deflated, Lapis sighed and looked down before she stepped further outside, noticing that, to her disappointment, the girl moved away from her. She held the door open and looked up, realizing for the first time that the girl had not been alone. Flushing, she looked once more at the blonde and mumbled, "Alright...well...I'm sorry, again...enjoy your coffee..."

Green met blue once more right before the shorter girl vanished into the coffee shop, and Lapis felt the pang of regret wash over her for not offering to buy her coffee.

 _If you ever see her again...do it then_.

Lapis sighed and looked over to the group that had accompanied the girl, blushing and feeling self conscious and silly for having not acknowledged them at all. She was just so enchanted by the green eyed blonde...enchanted...?

"I...I'm sorry...please, go in..." she all but whispered, her mind going off on a blurred tangent as the word echoed in her thoughts.

 _Echo...thoughts...enchanted...damn, what's her name...?_

Her unorganized thought pattern was interrupted by the other girl in their group, her voice full of playful friendliness. "You don't have to hold the door, it's okay, girl!" she gestured inside with her head and laughed. "She'll be fiiine!" The two other boys nodded, and Lapis noticed they were all smiling widely, not even slightly upset that their friend had been injured. She wondered if this was from detachment, or if it was customary for this group to act in such a way with one another. Regardless, she shook the consideration out of her head and smiled sheepishly.

"No, it's the least I can do...besides, if I'm gonna be a good employee, I should start practicing some manners and hold the door, instead of hitting my customers with it, heh..." she forced a tiny laugh to try and joke about the incident that made her want to dig a hole to the other side of the Earth where nobody would know what happened in that moment. No, she had to continue to live in this city she just moved to, continue to occupy the café she just got a job at, continue to wonder every day if it would be the day where she met the other girl again so she could check on her hand and buy her a coffee. And stare into her eyes whenever possible. While they had casual conversations, of course. She gritted her teeth and forced a smile at the group, pushing her thoughts aside once more as the girl spoke.

"Oh, you work here now? Girl, I'm right next door if you need anything! My family runs Fish Stew Pizza! Come say hi sometime!" she motioned towards the shop and grinned at Lapis. "Name's Jenny! This is Sour Cream-" the skinny blond held up a peace sign at the introduction. "-and Buck!" Buck shot her a finger fun and a small smile. She smiled softly at the two boys in return.

"And the nerd you crippled-" Lapis' heart jumped as Jenny pointed inside. "-that's Peridot! I'm kidding about the cripple part...I think. Again, she should be fine!"

 _Peridot. How utterly perfect._

"We're around here quite a bit, I'm sure we'll see you again!" Jenny finished.

"I'm sure you will, Jenny." Lapis smiled more and looked down at her feet. "Thank you."

 _Oh, man, thank you._

The group began to walk past her as they waved, and before she could think to let them know her name, she let go of the door, barely glancing inside one final time towards Peridot, her heart clenching as she caught sight of the green flannel she was wearing— _dark green, light green stitching through soft grey_ —but no more. The door shut and she stared at it a moment before slowly turning around to face the beach, all blue and not so special anymore, the wind picking up and blowing her bangs to the side gently.

Lapis stared off into the distance, her mind slowly attempting to process the events of the past half hour. She stayed silent for a few seconds before a big smile broke out across her face and she looked down at the paper in her hands. She had to hold in a cheer of excitement as she folded up the paper quickly, shoving it into her pocket before twirling in a circle throwing her arms out. "YES." she whispered a bit loud still smiling. Looking around, she spotted the Big Donut and broke out into a jog towards it, turning onto the road that merged with Thayer and kept her pace, looking around with a renewed sense of gratitude.

She had done it. She had landed a job. It took a few days, but that was way better than a few weeks. Way better. The next step was to call her mother and boast about her success. She didn't expect to receive very much praise for it, if any at all, but it would still feel good to let the woman know she had met the expectations of their arrangement rather quickly. She felt more comfortable thinking about her mother at this point, and she relished in the overwhelming sense of relief. She kept up her pace as she let her thoughts wander back to...Peridot.

Lapis had never given much thought to her sexual orientation. She found attraction to whomever was attractive, and that had always been her basis for relationships and such things. She had settled on bisexual; pansexual, even. It just wasn't a big deal to her. She hadn't actually dated much, though she'd had plenty of intimate moments with quite a few people to help her feel she had a grasp on what certain feelings meant.

This, however.

She couldn't remember ever being rendered almost speechless and scattered when just simply looking at someone for the first time. Peridot's appearance had simply turned her whole world upside down for a few brief minutes, and even at this moment, in the midst of her success of getting a job, she found herself occupied with the image of the most beautifully shaded green eyes she had ever seen in her 19 years of life. She had been absolutely enchanted by them.

 _That word again. Echo. Thoughts. Peridot._

True, her behavior had been rather strange, but Lapis couldn't blame her for it seeing as how she had basically broken her hand. She cringed and slowed her pace as she cut between two houses to emerge onto Crawford Terrace, going back to her jog towards Sussex.

 _You should really buy her the biggest coffee possible for that._

Lapis rolled her eyes at her inner voice, giving a silent _duh_ in return.

She spotted her street and jogged quicker, turning left and broke out into a run, excitement flooding through her again as she unhooked her keys from her belt loop. Reaching the door of her cozy little home, Lapis jammed the key into the lock and turned it quickly, shoving the door open and running in, slamming it behind her and locking it fast before taking her phone out of her pocket, making her way to her room and throwing her hat and keys on her bed. She pulled her mother's contact information up before hitting the green call button— _such a lovely color_ —and brought the phone up to her ear, falling onto her bed back first. It rang once, twice, thrice, four times before a brittle "Hello?" met her ears. Despite the semi-cold greeting, Lapis couldn't hide the happiness in her voice.

"Mom! Guess what!"


End file.
